Electronic packages which include semiconductor devices (e.g., silicon chips) as part thereof are well known in the computer industry, with examples being shown and described in U.S. Letters Pats. 4,004,195 (Harayda et al), 4,415,025 (Horvath) and 4,593,342 (Lindsay).
Use of high circuit densities in modern semiconductor devices, including particularly those which use the aforementioned thin film substrates, requires the effective removal of heat generated during package operation in order to assure that the operating parameters of such devices are maintained within specified tolerances so as to prevent destruction of the package from overheating. One well known means for providing such heat removal is to utilize a metallic heat sink or similar member which typically forms an integral part of the package. Representative examples of these means are described and illustrated in the aforementioned patents.
The electronic package of the instant invention provides for enhanced heat removal therefrom through the utilization of a heat spreader interposed between the package's semiconductor device and heat sink components. The device, electrically connected to a thin film, circuitized substrate, is in turn attached to a surface of the spreader which in turn is attached to a surface of the heat sink. Use of a thin film substrate enables the device to be finally oriented at a spaced location from the package's first substrate (e.g., printed circuit board). This arrangement, in addition to substantially promoting heat dissipation from the package also facilitates assembly thereof.
It is believed that an electronic package possessing such features, among others, would constitute a significant advancement in the art.